Oscar Niemeyer. Born December 15, 1907. Died December 5, 2012. Aged 104

Oscar Niemeyer. Born December 15, 1907. Died December 5, 2012. Aged 104

FOLLOWING the news of Oscar Niemeyer’s death the mayor of Rio de Janeiro declared three days of mourning while in the capital city, Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff announced that a memorial service would be held in the presidential palace in Brasilia, a mark of how influential and admired Niemeyer was, not only in his own country but to modern architecture as a whole.

PUBLISHED: 00:01, Sat, Dec 15, 2012

Oscar Niemeyer was highly influential

Considered a master for the way he used concrete in free-flowing and curved styles, Niemeyer was best known for designing the government buildings of Brasilia, a sprawling new capital which sprang up from the desert in 1961 and now champions some of the most distinctive and innovative buildings in the world. From the crown-shaped cathedral to the sinuous shape of the Palácio Itamaraty, Niemeyer gave the city its architectural identity.

As he once said: “When someone goes to Brasilia I warn them, ‘You may like it or you may not but you’ll not be able to say you’ve ever seen something like it before’.”

Other world-famous buildings he had a hand in designing are the UN building in New York and the Communist Party headquarters in Paris, the latter being an apt memorial to a man who was a committed communist.

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Oscar Niemeyer Soares Filho studied at the National School of Fine Arts in Rio and after graduating in 1934 began work as a draughtsman.

Two architects, Lúcio Costa and Le Corbusier seem to have been particularly influential.

Niemeyer worked with Costa and Le Corbusier on designs for Brazil’s Ministry of Education and Health building in 1936. Three years later he partnered Costa on the Brazilian Pavilion for the New York Fair and they joined forces again for Brasilia.

Two architects, Lúcio Costa and Le Corbusier seem to have been particularly influential

While Brazil’s capital may be his greatest achievement he had little time to glory in it when, following a Right-wing coup in 1964, Niemeyer’s politics forced him into exile. He returned in 1970.

Continuing to work well into his 90s he oversaw more than 600 projects during his career and plaudits included the Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architecture in 1970 and the British equivalent in 1998.

His memoir The Curves Of Time came out the same year and he won the Pritzker Prize in 1988.

He died of respiratory infection.

He is survived by his second wife Vera. His first wife Annita died in 2004 and their daughter, Anna Maria, earlier this year.